The footwear market in Italy

The term footwear refers to anything that is used to cover the foot and leg. Properly, the term "footwear" refers to both the shoe and the sock. However, in common language this term simply means the shoe.

Footwear can be made of different materials such as leather, animal skin, fabric, or fiber. Footwear can have different manufacturing techniques: some more artisanal others more industrial.

The main types of footwear that we can distinguish are:

Sneakers

Sandals

Heeled shoes

Boots

Accident prevention work shoes

Globally, the footwear market is clearly growing mainly due to the fact that trends in the apparel industry tend to be more transient and faster. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the global footwear market between the years 2021-2027 is expected to be 5.88 percent

As for Italy, this is the leading footwear producing country in the European Union, the eighth country in terms of exports, and the third country in terms of overall market turnover. The Italian footwear system is one of the fundamental pillars of the country's manufacturing sector and has as many as 4,100 companies and 72,000 employees (2020 figures).

Due to the pandemic, the footwear market, like the entire fashion industry, has experienced a drop in consumption (-30 percent compared to 2019) and consequently a big loss in turnover. Despite this negative data, the growth forecast for the coming years is positive thanks to the long Italian tradition of Made in Italy and the large numbers in terms of exports that have always distinguished the market.

Some of the largest and most competitive companies in the Italian market, also known internationally, are: Gucci, Prada, Geox, Salvatore Ferragamo, Tod's and Dolce & Gabbana.